The Veterans Scandal on Bernie Sanders’s Watch

[Beacool]

By Tim Mak
2/5/16

While he was on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Sanders ‘believed in government, and he believed in it to a fault,’ a congressional source said—and it prevented him from fixing the VA.

Bernie Sanders’s tenure as chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee was characterized by glaring neglect of his oversight responsibilities, allowing the 2014 VA scandal to unfold under his watch, veterans’ rights advocates argue.

Sanders has touted his work on veterans’ issues, most recently citing his involvement in “the most comprehensive VA health care bill in this country,” in a debate Thursday.

Left unsaid however, is that he was the chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, responsible for overseeing the Department of Veterans Affairs, as the scandal erupted.

Dozens of veterans died while waiting for medical care at Phoenix Veterans Health Administration facilities, a scandal CNN broke in the spring of 2014. The imbroglio spread with reports of secret waiting lists at other VA hospitals, possibly leading to dozens more preventable deaths.

He held one-sixth of the hearings on oversight that his House of Representatives counterpart held. Republicans griped that they had made multiple requests for more oversight hearings, but received no response. A news host even challenged Sanders as the scandal erupted, saying he sounded more like a lawyer for the VA than the man responsible for overseeing it.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/05/the-veterans-scandal-on-bernie-sanders-s-watch.html

Interesting read.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

1. Be careful who you points fingers at.

The Veterans Affairs Secretary, the person in charge, is a Cabinet Level position appointed by, and reporting directly to, President Obama.

The buck stops in The Oval Office.

[myrna minx]

6. Not to mention - as reported by Rachel Maddow - the big push by the right wing to privatize the VA.

Gee - I wonder who's pushing this meme?

[Matariki]

20. "a congressional source said"

*exactly* Myrna.

(love your username reference, btw!)

[merrily]

27. +1

[Tortmaster]

30. He could have held hearings.

He could have listened. I'm afraid, though, he's not much of a listener. More of a shouter.

[jillan]

2. Just curious why there is a smiley face at the end of this.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

3. That right there is one of them newfangled kitchen sinks.

[hedda_foil]

24. Well you know what we do with them newfangled kitchen sinks back home?

We throws them right under the bus!

[Tortmaster]

31. Ignore them?

[merrily]

33. Silly to ignore something that was put in an OP for a reason?

[merrily]

34. Silly to ignore something that was put in an OP for a reason.

[beam me up scottie]

7. That's a good question, it's almost like the op is getting pleasure from what happened at the VA.

Because it gave her a chance to get a shot at Bernie.

But no one in DU would exploit veterans just to score points, would they?

[Beacool]

13. How's posting an article about the cluster-mess at the VA exploiting vets?

I know, around here Sanders is infallible like the Pope. I thought that it was an interesting article on a subject that I had never seen before in relation to Sanders' role in the Committee.

[beam me up scottie]

15. Such a "cluster mess" it needed a smilie face for emphasis?

If you say so.

[jillan]

26. The smiley face took away from the point you were trying to make.

All I saw is you were very happy to take a jab at Bernie at the expense of what happened in the VA.

[Beacool]

29. I usually add a smiley to my posts.

I didn't mean anything much by it.

[merrily]

32. +1

[merrily]

36. Don't waste your beautiful mind thinking about putting a smiley face into a post about VA hospitals.

The important thing is, you got in a jab at Sanders, the rest of the Committee, the Pentagon and Obama.

[jillan]

25. That is exactly what I thought when I saw that.

[notadmblnd]

42. Because the OP doesn't know that it has been posted here before and they think it's

a gotcha moment.

[Live and Learn]

4. So now your meme is that Republicans are the ones that want to help veterans?

By the way, most veterans love and support Bernie. FEEL THE BERN!!

[beam me up scottie]

5. Bernie Sanders, champion of vets

Bernie Sanders, champion of vets

Veterans Day is a great time to remember the American heroes who have served our country in war and peace in the far corners of the world, and a great time to express appreciation to political leaders who have been powerful voices for the interests of veterans in the halls of government.

One such champion of the cause of veterans is Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt), who has long served on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, was chairman of the committee when Democrats controlled the Senate, and is now the ranking Democrat on the committee with Republicans in control of the Senate.

Sanders has supported some military actions, such as the military response to the crisis in Kosovo during the Clinton years and the campaign in Afghanistan after the terrorist attacks in 2001, and has opposed other military actions, including his strong and consistent opposition to the Iraq War that was unwisely initiated after the attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. But whether he has supported or opposed different military initiatives, Sanders has always fought for the interests of veterans in good times and bad.

As a leader on the Veterans Affairs Committee, Sanders has worked closely with major veterans organizations and with leading champions of veterans in the Senate. He has worked closely with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and former Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), among many others. McCain and Webb deserve a special commendation as genuine war heroes who served bravely in combat and as aggressive champions of veterans' causes throughout their time in public life.

Sanders has been at the forefront of battles to improve healthcare and benefits for vets, expand employment opportunities for vets after they return home from battle, and improve the Veterans Administration after the scandals that plagued the system. Whether programs to help vets were originally sponsored or supported by McCain, Webb or other senators or were personally spearheaded by Sanders, he has alway been there for the vets.

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/defense/259677-bernie-sanders-champion-of-vets

Veterans for Bernie Sanders: Why the anti-war candidate is so beloved by former soldiers.

AlterNet When then-freshman Vermont Congressman Bernie Sanders first arrived in Washington, D.C., he didn’t first tend to the great social democratic causes that he spent his life working on: a national living wage, health care for all, or expanding labor unions.

Rather, the very first bill he introduced was H.R. 695 – the Guard and Reserve Family Protection Act of 1991. The purpose of the bill was to make sure that reserve and National Guard soldiers who were deployed to serve in the Gulf War were entitled to any pay they may have missed as a result of going to war, to ensure that their deployment wages were equal to their civilian wages.

Sanders’ career in Congress has been living testimony to the fact that opposing wars but supporting our soldiers are not mutually exclusive goals. He has been a consistent advocate for both active duty military and veterans, and there are now signs that those veterans are returning the favor, organizing for his campaign.

A Steadfast Advocate For Veterans

“He works for veterans. He’s not just saying that. He does do the work,” said Brenda Cruickshank a retired Army nurse who served as the past commander of the Vermont Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), over the summer. Indeed, last spring the national VFW presented Sanders with its 2015 Congressional Award.

That award came after Sanders forged a successful compromise to overhaul the Veterans Administration (VA), which had been plagued in scandals over its inability to handle its intake. “Last year when we had the scandal at the VA, he was incredibly effective, engaged in getting the legislation passed, in getting it funded. Frankly, without him, I don’t think we would have gotten it done because there was a lot of name-calling but there wasn’t a lot of constructive, ‘OK, here’s the resources. …’ And he did it,” said Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), noting how crucial Sanders was to the overhaul.

The praise for Sanders for his leadership on the VA issue was bipartisan. The deal wouldn’t have gone down without the support of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who worked closely with Sanders. “I found him to be honorable and good as his word. And his word was good,” said McCain. “Senator Sanders understands what it takes to get legislation across the goal line,” said Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) of the VA compromise. “I think he’s very outspoken in terms of where he is ideologically. But when he gets down to the need of get legislation into law, then I find him to be one who’s willing to sit down and compromise and negotiate to get a final product.”

http://www.salon.com/2015/10/24/vets_for_bernie_why_the_most_anti_war_candidate_has_many_military_supporters_partner/

[neverforget]

8. this is where they attack him where he's strongest

when all else fails

[beam me up scottie]

12. You'd think that supporters of someone who voted to send them to Iraq would have more compassion.

Last edited Sat Feb 6, 2016, 06:46 AM - Edit history (1)

[Beacool]

14. Is Bush running for a third term?

His administration sent them to war.

[beam me up scottie]

18. Not by himself he didn't:

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members...

It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons. Should he succeed in that endeavor, he could alter the political and security landscape of the Middle East, which as we know all too well, effects American security.

This is a very difficult vote, this is probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make. Any vote that might lead to war should be hard, but I cast it with conviction."

In March 2003 she fully endorsed the invasion:

There is a very easy way to prevent anyone from being put into harm's way, and that is for Saddam Hussein to disarm, and I have absolutely no belief that he will. I have to say that this is something I have followed for more than a decade.

For now nearly 20 years, the principal reason why women and children in Iraq have suffered, is because of Saddam's leadership.

The very difficult question for all of us, is how does one bring about the disarmament of someone with such a proven track record of a commitment, if not an obsession, with weapons of mass destruction.

I ended up voting for the Resolution after carefully reviewing the information and intelligence I had available, talking with people whose opinions I trusted, trying to discount political or other factors that I didn't believe should be in any way a part of this decision, and it is unfortunate that we are at the point of a potential military action to enforce the resolution. That is not my preference, it would be far preferable if we had legitimate cooperation from Saddam Hussein, and a willingness on his part to disarm, and to account for his chemical and biological storehouses.

With respect to whose responsibility it is to disarm Saddam Hussein, I do not believe that given the attitudes of many people in the world community today that there would be a willingness to take on very difficult problems were it not for United States leadership.

And then claimed what we did to Iraq was a gift:

Hillary Goes Orwellian on Iraq

Hillary Clinton may fancy she opposes the war in Iraq, but she has a funny way of showing it. On Monday night in Austin, she had this to say about what the United States military has done over the past five years:

"We have given them the gift of freedom, the greatest gift you can give someone. Now it is really up to them to determine whether they will take that gift."

There was nothing accidental about this line. She delivered it in response to two Iraq veterans introduced at a town hall meeting at the Austin Convention Center by her friend and campaign surrogate Ted Danson. She liked the line enough that she delivered it again a couple of hours later, at a campaign-closing rally at a basketball arena in south Austin.

"The gift of freedom" is, of course, a curious way to describe an unprovoked invasion and occupation causing hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths and leaving just about every aspect of life chaotic and fraught with daily dangers. To then lay responsibility for the mess on the Iraqis -- we did our bit, now you do yours -- is the worst kind of dishonesty, a complete abdication of moral principles. It's the sort of thing George Bush has said to justify his decision both to launch the invasion in the first place and then stay the course -- a course Hillary Clinton has spent many months telling primary and caucus voters she thinks was misconceived from the start.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-gumbel/hillary-goes-orwellian-on_b_89729.html

Worms/can/you opened it

[merrily]

37. Not by himself, he didn't. Constitution says he needs Congress for that.

[hobbit709]

9. The metabolic byproducts are impacting the impeller blades in all directions now.

Is there anything Camp Weathervane and its acolytes won't toss out there to see if it sticks?

[nichomachus]

10. Be careful. A stretch like that can cause injury.

I know The Hillary Gang is desperate. But try not to let it show.

[Beacool]

16. Not more so than the Sanders' "gang".

Always repeating the same talking points like your candidate's mantra: Goldman Sachs, IWR, etc.

[frylock]

22. Talking points... facts.. meh.

[beam me up scottie]

11. Interesting source, did you know he writes for the Washington Examiner?

Tim Mak is a Senior Correspondent for The Daily Beast. He covers campaign politics, national security and Congress. He previously reported on politics and defense at Politico and the Washington Examiner.

The Washington Examiner

The Washington Examiner is a political journalism publication based in Washington, D.C., that distributes its content via daily online reports and a weekly magazine.[2] It is owned by MediaDC,[3] a subsidiary of Clarity Media Group,[4] which is owned by Philip Anschutz.[5][6] From 2005 to mid-2013, the Examiner published a daily tabloid-sized newspaper, distributed free throughout the Washington, D.C. metro area, largely focused on local news and conservative commentary.[5] The local newspaper ceased publication on June 14, 2013, and its content began to focus exclusively on national politics, switching its print edition from a daily newspaper to a weekly magazine format

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Examiner

Let's see what Mr. Mak had to say about Hillary and her emails:

How The State Department Caved To Hillary Clinton’s Lawyer On Classified Emails

Clinton’s private lawyer got his way when he pushed back after being asked to delete all copies of a classified email—a level of deference an expert calls ‘far from the norm.’

The State Department put up virtually no resistance when Hillary Clinton’s private lawyer requested to keep copies of her emails—even though those emails contained classified information, and even though it was unclear whether the attorney was cleared to see such secrets.
Experts on the handling of classified information tell The Daily Beast that the seemingly chummy arrangement between Clinton’s lawyer and her former State Department aides was “quite unusual.”

Newly released documents, obtained by The Daily Beast in coordination with the James Madison Project under the Freedom of Information Act, include legal correspondence and internal State Department communications about Clinton’s emails. Those documents provide new details about how officials tried to accommodate the former secretary of state and presidential candidate.

In May 2015, a senior State Department official informed Clinton’s lawyer, David Kendall, that government reviewers had found at least one classified email among the messages she sent using a private account, which she used exclusively while in office. That email was only part of the “first tranche” of the review, a State Department employee noted at the time, leaving open the possibility that more classified information would be found, which it was.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/15/how-the-state-department-caved-to-hillary-clinton-s-lawyer-on-classified-emails.html

You should be more careful when you open those cans of worms, Beacool, you never know what's in them.

[Beacool]

17. Meh, deflection.

[beam me up scottie]

19. Nope, goes to credibility, both his and yours.

[merrily]

38. As if the Hillary "gang" (see your post) never comments on a source, and only the source,

whenever an OP doesn't flatter Hillary?

See also, Reply 18.

[Matariki]

21. Boo! Right wing talking points!

"Sanders ‘believed in government'"

Are you suggesting the VA should be privatized? Like your unnamed 'congressional source' (and obviously Republican, because who else in congress would criticize believing in government?)would like?

[mhatrw]

23. Thank God he fought off the Koch brother's bid to privatize the VA!

Thank God he worked to reform the VA rather than to let the jackals loose on its carcass as "his House of Representatives counterpart" was desperately attempting to do.

[Tortmaster]

28. But he talks really loud!

[merrily]

40. Is that the best you can do?

[cherokeeprogressive]

35. A little late to the party, but dressed appropriately.

I'll give you that.

[Beacool]

39. OK, you made me laugh.

[Truprogressive85]

41. Hawks don't care soildes,but Doves do

OP do you not that support a candidate that gave GWB the greenlight to invade in Iraq

Which created more Veterans ?

I know you will probably say she was not the only Democrat to do so ,but she is running to be C.I.C where judgement is needed.